Bladed shutter for photographic apparatus



Dec. 1, 1931. G. E. LABRELY BLADED SHUTTER PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 27 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v H x v Dec. 1, 1931.

G. E. LABRELY BLADED'SHUTTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. z Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 1, .1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGES EMILE LA'BBELY, CHATOU, FRANGE SHUTTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Application filed December 27, 1929, Serial No. 416,849, and in France March 4, 1929. Renewed September 29, 1931.

This invention relates to a bladed shutter for photographic apparatus and concerns means allowing of the regulation at will of the time during which the blades are at rest I; in the fully open position, without havin to remove any part "either of the shutter or of. the photographic apparatus carrying the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for braking the movement of the members, towards the end of their travel, so that their coming to rest will not be abrupt.

The invention further relates to means for preventing passage of light between the shutter blades when they are in the closed position. v

Another object of the invention is to make these blades rigid, so as to ensure that they 30 shall not become jammed or bent at the beginning nor vibrate at the end of their iapid movements The devices employed are shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings,

in which v Fig. 1 is a section through the two shafts which are comprised by the shutter of which only two obturating blades are shown,

- Fig. 2 is an outer view taken on the line 2'-2 of Fig. 1, v

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig.4 is asection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig/6 is a diagram approximately according to the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, g

Fig. 7 is an outer View taken on the line 77 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 8 shows on an enlarged scale the end ofone of the shutter blades, v Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the blade in another position,

Fig. 10 is an end View taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9, the blades being in their open position, I

Fig. 11 shows one of-the blades in perspective,

' Fig. 12 is a diagram showing that the blades close into one another in either of the.

two positions of closure which they may occupy, and

with standards 2, for helping to support two ated scale (see Fig. 7) in front of which is Figs. 13 to 15 show how all the blades of the shutter are connected together by connecting rods, the members being shown, respectively, in one of the closing positions, in

g the fully open position and in the other of the positions of closure which the blades can occupy.

The shutter comprises a frame 1, provided shafts 3 and 4. The shaft 3 passes through two closing plates 5, 6. On one of the ex tremities of this shaft 3 is fixed a pinion 7 on the boss of which a ring 8 having two radial lugs 9, 10 is keyed. Between this ring and the plate 5 is disposed a disc 11 freely mounted in the said plate and having a projection 12, each of two pins 13 integral with the disc 11 passing through an arcuate slot 14. Between the heads of these pins and the plate 5 is arranged a flexible washer 15 which is slightly flexed on a diametral line perpendicular to the line passing through the pins. This washer thus exerts a pressure on the plate 5 and brakes the movements of the d sc 11, the projection 12 of which is situated between the lugs 9 and 10, in the greater of the circumferential gaps between said lugs.

A lever 16, pivoted at a fixed point 17 and urged towards the shaft 3 by means of a spring 18, accommodates within a notch 19 one or other of the lugs 9, 10.

e pinion 7 meshes with a driving pinion 20 forming part of a suitable actuating device, this pinion 20 being set in rotation when a photographic view is to be taken. On the 85 other extremity of the shaft 3 is loosely mounted a sleeve 21 integral with a knurled button 22, within which is a suitablygradudisposed a pointer 23 fixed on the end of the shaft 3. A spring 24 urges the button 22and the sleeve 21 towards a pinion 25 fixed on the shaft 3, with all the teeth of which pinion mesh the internal teeth 26 formed in an enlarged portion 27 of the sleeve 21-. This enlarged portion carries pins 28 which can slide in corresponding openings in a disc 29 "integral with the sleeve or hub 30, on which is keyed amember 31 of half-shell shape. A 14- similar member 33 is secured on a sleeve 32 loosely mounted on the shaft 3.

Between the sleeve 30 and the sleeve 32 there is secured on the shaft 3 a crank 34.

having a pin 35 upon which is freely mounted a lever 36, the spherical extremities 37, 38 of which are engaged each in an opening 39. of one of the half-shells 31, 33.

This arrangement therefore resembles a difierential gear of which 3 would be the guided shaft, the pin 35 the cross-piece, the lever 36, 37, 38 the satellite, whereas 31 and 33 would be, the planetary wheels (see the diagram Fig. 6).

The member 31 carries a finger 40 to which corresponds a notch or recess 41. The member 33 is similarly provided with a finger 42 3.1;(1 a corresponding recess 43 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6 The angular setting between the fingers 40 and 42, in relation to the orifices 39, and the angular setting of the members 31, 33 in relation to each other, is sueh that'when the lever 36, 37, 38 is disposed perpendicularly to the planes of the members 31, 33 (as shown in Fig. 6 in full lines) the angular distance between the fingers 40 and 42 will be, for instance 0: (the mean distance on Fig. 5).

On the shaft 4 is fixed a Maltese cross 44 having two diametral grooves 45 and 46 at right-angles and arrangedback to back in such a manner that the groove 45 may receive the finger 40 and groove 46 the finger 42.v The shaft 4 is integral with the cranks 47, 47 which, by means of the crank pins 48, 48, connecting rods 49, 50, 49, 50, crank pins 51, 51' and eccentrics 52 and 52 with trunnions 53, 53 upon which the shutter blades 55 are fixed by means of screws 54, 54, transmit movement to these said blades as will be explained hereinafter.

The combination, with the blades of these cranks, connecting rods and eccentrics is shown by way of example in Figs. 13 to 15.

The shutter works as follows: At the moment when it is intended to take a photographfa finger 56 (Fig. 2) is caused to act on the lever 16. This finger 56 is actuated by hand or automatically by any suitable means, with which means however, thisinvention is in no way concerned.

Thisfinger 56 displaces the lever so that the notch 19 releases the lug 9 (Fig. 2). At the same instant under the action of the toothed motor member 20, the pinion 7 rotates with the ring 8 and shaft 3, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The lug 10 abuts against the projection 12,

- which it pushes forward, at the time driving the disc 11 the pins 13 of which drive the braking washer 15, which reduces the shock at the end of the movement of these members. The lug 10 has now arrived the notch 19 of the lever 16 which the spring 13 has already brought into position.

In revolving, the shaft 3 drives the crank 34 as well as the lever 36 provided with ball heads 37 38. The members 31, 32 are caused to, rotate together without the angular spacing of the fingers 40 and 42 being altered, as the member 31 is integral with the shaft 3,

by reason of the-teeth 25, 26. One of the fingers, 42 forinstance (Fig. 5) arrives in the groove 46 of the Maltese cross and causes it to turn through a quarter revolution whlch brings the shutter blades 55, by means of the opposite direction to that in which it rotated previously, by the toothed member 20 after the finger 56 has again removed the pawl holding the lug 10.

The device then functions in the same manner as before, but the members are displaced in the opposite direction.

The time during which the blades 55 have effectively remained immobile and fully open depends on the angular distance between the fingers 46 and 42. The angle a (Fig. 5) corresponds to a mean period.

The angle B corresponds to the shortest period and the angle to the longest.

In order to modify this distance between the extremes ,8 and a it suflices, first of all, to exert a sufiicient tractive efiort on the button 22, to bring the 'teeth 25, 26 by means of 21 and 27, out of mesh, and then, whilst holding same against the resistance of the spring 24, to turn the button 22 in the desired direction by referring to the graduations and the stationary index 23.

Due to the rotation of the button, the pins 28 drive the plate 29, and consequently the member .31, which revolves in relation to the shaft 3, which is maintained stationary by the lever 16, through an angle equal to that through which the button 22 has been displaced.

As the lever 36 connects the members 31 and 33 together and as the pin 35 of this lever is stationary, as is also the spindle 3, the memmeshes with the teeth 25 and all is ready to function once more in the manner above described.

For the purpose of avoiding the passage of as shown in Fig. 11.

The two long sides 57 present, at 58, on one face a groove forming a rib on the opposite face. Fig. 12 shows that owing to these grooves and ribs, the edges fit one into the other, thus rendering impossible the passage of light between the shutter blades. Moreover, each extremity of the blades is fashioned and bent back at 59 insuch a manner, as to'constitute ascreen against the light rays, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and in any case these rays can only impinge obliquely on one or the other of the faces of the parts 59 as these latter are arranged at the bottom of a groove 60 in the frame 1.

What I claim is: i

1. In a photographic blade shutter of the nature indicated, in combination with. a Maltese cross, a driving pinion, a driven pinion, a ring, a spring actuated lever, ashaft, an axle, a double lever, two half-shells, and the usual means for transmitting the movement of this Maltese cross to the shutter blades leaving the latter fully open for a'certain period of time, the driving pinion constantly meshing with the. driven pinion, which latter is integral with the said shaft and ring, this ring having two lugs for the purpose of engagement with the lever, the above mentioned axle being fixed to the said shaft and carrying the double lever which is in constant engagement with the two half shells, and these latter which are loosely mounted on the shaft being each provided with a finger for successively acting upon the Maltese cross.

V die, each of these half shells bei with-a finger for acting upon a Ma tese c 2. In a shutter of the type described, the

combination with a device comprising a driv- Y en pinion, a ring and a shaft integral with the sald pinion, two half shells connected tothe shaft by means of a double lever carried by an axle which is integral with the said provided of a device comprising a inion (25) into al with the above mentione shaft, a sleeve 5 'dmg on this shaft, and integral with an operatmg button outside the shutter ho a nonsliding sleeve connected to the SH gsleeve to rotate therewith, and to one of the half shells, this sliding sleeve being provided with internal teeth meshing with the pinion which is integral with the shaft, an index-on said shaft, a spring between this index and the operating button, and a scale on the latter for indicating the relative angular position given to the half-shells by manipulation of the button, the period of time during which the blades are .at rest in the fully opened position depending on the spacing given, by this adjustment, to the above mentioned fingers in relation to one another. 7

3. In a blade type shutter, a shaft integral with a driven pinion and a ring, a disc and a' .flexible washer, having a diametral flexure,

the said ring having two In which alternately abut against a projection on the disc, this latter bein concentric with the shaft and mounted on a xed part of the housing of the I shutter, whereas the washer is mounted concentrically with the shaft, upon the said fixed portion, pins connecting the washer to the disc and passingthrough arcuate openings in the housing so as to maintain thi's'washer and disc pressed against the above mentioned fixed part, in order to brake the movement of the spindle or shaft at the finish of each 'revollition of the latter.

order to prevent any passage of light between the blades, these folds also rendering the,

blades more rigid. I 5. In a shutter with oscillating blades, in combination, a folded portion arallel with each longitudinal edge of each lade and an upturned portion on each \of the extremities of these blades, the upturned portions beingin contact with the bottom of a groove in the housing of the shutter, thes folds and encased upturned portions preventing, during the. period the shutter is closed, the passage oflight rays between the blades themselves and between the extremities of these blades and the walls of the housing.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GEORGES'EMELE LABRELY. 

